<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Learning About Goodbye by slinden</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26324854">Learning About Goodbye</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/slinden/pseuds/slinden'>slinden</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Animal Death, I wrote this over 15 years ago and it got me minor internet celebrity status, Original Fiction, Please read and enjoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:26:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26324854</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/slinden/pseuds/slinden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two young children learn about death for the first time when they have to say goodbye to a beloved pet. An original work I posted a million years ago on another site.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Learning About Goodbye</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Becka held on to Tigger with all her seven-year-old might. She hugged her pet close to her chest and rested her cheek on her cat’s head. The old cat mewed quietly and Becka felt another tear streak down her cheek.<br/><br/>She stopped walking. "Daddy, I won’t let you do this."<br/><br/>Her father, two paces ahead of her, stopped his slow strides. His shoulders slumped, but his grip on the rifle grew tighter. William sighed and turned to face his daughter. "Becka, Tigger is sick. Very sick. We’re helping him."<br/><br/>Becka felt her brother’s hand on her shoulder. Billy was ten and didn’t care about Tigger. He wasn’t crying at all, Becka thought bitterly. But Tigger was his pet too.<br/><br/>"But…but why?" Becka trembled, clutching Tigger tighter. He mewed louder this time, his sound strangled slightly by the girl’s arms.<br/><br/>William frowned. "Tigger is dying, angel. We’re going to help him die."<br/><br/>Becka sobbed. "I don’t want him to die! I love him!"<br/><br/>"He’s hurting, Becka," Billy said. "That dog hurt him real bad."<br/><br/>"No. Why can’t we take him to the vet? The vet can save him.” Becka tried to take a step back, but Billy was still there.<br/><br/>Shaking his head, William knelt next to Becka. "No, he’d just do the same thing we’re doing. He’s hurt too bad. He’s just a barn cat, sweetie. He’s not worth the money we’d spend on him."<br/><br/>"He’s important to me. He’s worth it to me." Becka shook her head.<br/><br/>"Becka," William’s voice firmed, "You have to say goodbye. We have to do this."<br/><br/>"No!" Becka shouted. "He’s mine!"<br/><br/>"Becka, listen to daddy!" Billy snapped.<br/><br/>Becka’s small face contorted with an anger that she’d never felt before. She couldn’t understand her feelings or what her father wanted to do. Tigger was still breathing. He was nuzzling her face right then and there, purring and trying to comfort her. But Becka could feel the differences in Tigger’s body since the big, mean dog had grabbed him. He was bleeding from wounds all over his body. He felt softer. He would cry when she tried to touch him. Why was he hurting?<br/><br/>"What will happen to him when he dies?" Becka asked.<br/><br/>William stood and sighed. "God will send an angel to take him to heaven. He’ll be with all the other pets. He won’t hurt anymore, Becka."<br/><br/>Becka froze. What was she doing? Could she do this? She lifted up Tigger and gazed into his eyes. One was filled with blood and leaking large tears. The other was still clear and bright. The cat’s eyes slowly met Becka’s. With the look, she asked forgiveness.<br/><br/>She kissed the top of her pet’s head and gently gave him to her father. She felt Billy take her hand and turn to lead her away.<br/><br/>They had walked ten paces when they heard the shot.<br/><br/>Then another.<br/><br/>And another.<br/><br/>They both turned to see what was wrong.<br/><br/>It turns out the cat was an alien. It bit off their faces and took off for its hidden alien craft in the woods.<br/><br/>Fucking alien cats.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>